The present application relates to a highly concentrated beverage compositions having extremely low levels of acid(s) to extend the shelf life of critical components, such as flavors, without the use of buffering agents.
The market for concentrated liquids for flavoring water (i.e., beverage concentrates) has grown to a multimillion dollar industry. Beverage concentrates typically have relatively high acid levels (low pH) in order to provide a sufficiently tart taste when diluted in water. High acidity, however, breaks down flavor components in the concentration, which reduces the shelf life of the concentrate greatly. It continues to be a struggle to develop concentrates having the desired acidity while also exhibiting a sufficient shelf life. Some attempts increase the shelf life of concentrates involve using buffers to soften the high acid content of the concentrate. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,293,299 and 2,764,486. The use of buffers, however, has numerous drawbacks. Accordingly, there is a need for stabilized beverage concentrates that do not use buffers in this regard.